Do or die for bills - kind of

Capitol scramble

ATLANTA - It was the busiest day at the Capitol Wednesday, with both the House and Senate sure to debate for hours on end.

So when an unexpected argument popped up early on the day bills would either pass one chamber or die, Speaker Terry Coleman wasn't happy.

''Why'd you put this on the calendar?'' he said to Rep. Calvin Smyre, chairman of the agenda-setting Rules Committee.

To which Smyre only held up a packet of BC headache powder on his desk and shook his head. ''I don't know,'' he said with a chuckle.

In the end, one of the longest days of the legislative session stretched into the night in the House and ended in bitter acrimony in the Senate.

Wednesday was the deadline for a bill to pass at least one chamber or die for the session. Although the deadline is famously loose - a supposedly ''dead'' bill can always be substituted for something that has passed - lawmakers were scrambling to make sure pet bills got through.

Complete coverage

In the Senate, Republican majority leaders unexpectedly adjourned at about 7:45 p.m., shocking minority Democrats who had sponsored all but one of the bills remaining on the agenda.

Sen. Rene Kemp, D-Hinesville, sponsored an abandoned bill that would have streamlined how people on Medicaid with mental illnesses are administered their medication.

''I'm so upset with leadership. They showed a lack of intestinal fortitude,'' said Kemp, who said members of his family have struggled with mental illness. ''There are some people, I will never take their word again. I thought that more of the people I serve with would have more compassion.''

When Democrats realized Republicans were preparing to shut down for the night, several rose to angrily defend Kemp - a longtime senator who was placed in a Republican-leaning district with Senate President pro-tem Eric Johnson, R-Savannah, in newly drawn political maps.

''No member of this Senate can appreciate cowardice, and to hurt a member of this Senate in the manner it's being done tonight is cowardly,'' said Sen. Steve Thompson, D-Powder Springs.

Republican Caucus Chairman Don Balfour, R-Snellville, said Democrats routinely adjourned without passing Republican bills on ''crossover day'' when they held a majority in the chamber.

''There are a number of bills at the end of that calendar that probably shouldn't have been put on in the first place,'' said Balfour, who said some senators were concerned that Kemp's bill could cost the state millions of dollars.

The House considered more than 50 bills, including a delay on the requirement that third-graders pass a state reading test or be forced to repeat the grade.

That education bill also does away with the letter grades used to grade schools based on their test scores. Republican Gov. Sonny Perdue hailed the education vote, but objected to the part about delaying third-grade reading requirements.

Senators had at least 45 bills on their calendar. Highlights included a bill that would require Georgia's new electronic voting machines to provide a paper receipt for voters.

The Senate also approved a bill protecting private history displays, a measure intended to make peace with Southern heritage activists angry the battle emblem wasn't included on the recent flag referendum. That bill would ensure that the Confederate-themed Stone Mountain Park in suburban Atlanta is not changed.

Senators also voted to require businesses that sell hunting and fishing licenses to offer voter registration.

The long calendar didn't discourage more than 100 lobbyists from thronging the halls, asking for extra bills. Some were watching which bills were not passed as much as which bills were.

The most glaring omission from early consideration was a sales-tax holiday. The holiday waives sales taxes on most books, clothes and computers for a few days in the summer. But the holiday must be renewed each year, and so far lawmakers have not voted to schedule one.

Like most sponsors of the not-yet-noticed bills, tax holiday sponsor Rep. Ron Borders was upbeat. The day is long, the Valdosta Democrat said, and until the clock hit midnight every bill had a chance.

''It's hard for them to say this is not going forward,'' he said.

Crossover Day

A look at major bills pending on Crossover Day, the deadline for bills to pass at least one chamber of the Georgia General Assembly:

EDUCATION: The House approved important changes to the education reforms passed a few years ago. Among other things, the bill delays mandatory retention for third graders who don't pass mandated tests and also does away with the letter grades used to grade schools based on their test scores.

ELECTRONIC VOTING: The Senate voted to require Georgia's new electronic voting machines to be accompanied by paper records of votes cast. But the bill was watered down by amendments delaying the requirement until the federal government picks up the tab.

SALES TAX HOLIDAY: A brief sales tax waiver on most books, clothes and notebooks was not scheduled for a vote in the House, where tax bills must originate. But sponsors hoped the bill would be added late in the day to ensure the tax holiday isn't canceled this summer.

FAITH-BASED CHARITIES: A constitutional amendment allowing state tax dollars to go to religious charities was not scheduled for a vote in the House, but Democratic leaders hinted the amendment would be added to the debate calendar. The amendment has already passed the GOP-led Senate.

REDISTRICTING: The House again delayed passing new district maps in response to a court ruling that the maps approved three years ago were illegally drawn to help Democrats. The federal court has already released new maps, but Democrats in the House hoped to pass a new version anyway.